DENVER – Ozzie Albies hit seventh or eighth in each of his first 12 major league games before Tuesday, when he was bumped up to the leadoff spot in the Braves lineup against Colorado.
The second-base prospect went 0-for-4 with three fly-outs and a ground out in the Braves' 4-3 win. Albies has hit .186 with a .250 on-base percentage, albeit with two homers and seven RBIs in 43 at-bats.
With Ender Inciarte getting a day off for only the third time all season, Braves manager Brian Snitker decided to put the diminutive but dynamic Albies at the top of the batting order for the second game of the series at Coors Field.
“Why not?” Snitker said, smiling. “Right-handed swing’s pretty good, what the heck, get him up there more. Give him a chance, with the speed and everything, to run around a little bit.”
Switch-hitting Albies is 6-for-34 (.176) against right-handers and 2-for-9 with both of his three-run homers against lefties.
The Rockies started lefty Kyle Freelan on Tuesday and Albies was 0-for-3 with two opposite-field fly-outs against him including one that was caught two steps in front of the wall in the right-field corner.
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